Monthly Archives: November 2015

In case you missed anything – a roundup of news we picked up last month from Manitoba’s post-secondary schools.

Assiniboine Community CollegeACC’s annual provincial impact totals $613 million
A recent study on Assiniboine Community College’s (ACC) economic impact shows a contribution of more than $613 million every year to Manitoba’s economy.Continue reading School Zone→

I awoke the other morning depressed by a dream where I was struggling against being held down, restrained, unable to move forward. I was shouting, “You can’t hold me back. Stop trying to restrain me.” I had a choking, frustrated feeling in this dream.
If dreams are the portal to your real thoughts and feelings, perhaps this one was telling me that I needed to write about how it’s time for Manitoba to break its bonds of caution and insecurity and move forward boldly and courageously.Continue reading Time to reinvent the province of new and bold ideas→

Like this:

Did you know that two of the greatest cowboy songs of all time were composed by a Winnipegger? And did you know that North
America’s foremost authority on folk music was born in Winnipeg? He’s also the inspiration for Oscar the Grouch. Bet you didn’t know that a Winnipeg rock ‘n’ roll band sold more records in 1970 alone than the entire Canadian recording industry combined to that point and even played at the White House. Or that Quebec’s most beloved music star is actually from Manitoba. For a province that accounts for roughly 3.6 per cent of Canada’s population, Manitoba has produced a surprising number of music stars and innovators. In fact, Manitoba recording artists account for far in excess of 100 million recordings sold worldwide.Continue reading Winnipeg’s musical roots→

So you’ve finished your education and have some spare time on your hands, or maybe you are just on the hunt for the next best thing in your already fabulous life. An exceedingly common fork in the road that many young women find themselves staring at, is the difficult travel-or-work debate.

Many people are under the impression that travelling can actually be dangerous to the dream career they’ve aspired to since day one of college. They tell themselves that it will leave a questionable gap in their resume, or will leave them in the dust behind those who have chosen to get straight to work.

Yet you must ask yourself… Could it actually be possible to have the best of both worlds?

Here are some reasons why including travel experience in your cover letters and interviews may actually have you soaring above your flightless competition.

Why you should get on that plane
Travelling abroad is an example of “real life” experience
You can get as many A-pluses or gold stars in your education as you want, but these primarily exhibit your skills to learn from a classroom or a textbook. As qualified as your 4.0 grade point average may make you, it is only half the puzzle. Knowing that you are courageous enough to try new things, and ambitious enough to fly halfway across the world for a year of your life, sends a strong message about your personality.

Interviewers are likely pretty tired of getting the same answers about how someone has managed to “lead their group to successfully making a tight deadline,” to prove you can work well under stress. While of course you have to still use some examples that are job or industry specific for the position that you are applying for, why not tell them about the time you managed to calmly reroute your train tickets when you found yourself in the wrong foreign country at 3:00 am and didn’t speak the language. Now THAT’S a stressful situation. It also shows your ability to think outside the box, and apply your experiences to a variety of situations.

You care about you
Making the decision to travel for a year is a pretty tough one to make. Some of the decisions and experiences that you choose to have while travelling will also be tough. Employers are typically looking for someone who is going to be a hardworking, devoted and hopefully long-term employee. Having already made these decisions shows your employer that you have put some very serious thought into your life, where you are now, and where you want to go.

Furthermore, being a young women and travelling alone or in a small group can be a terrifying, but also hugely empowering, experience. With every country you conquer and hostel you sleep in, you will gain confidence and meet fascinating new people. What better way to develop your communication and leadership skills than to practice abroad? Employers who are serious about investing in you will be impressed by the fact that you have taken the time to thoughtfully invest in yourself.
You will broaden your network exponentially
Being an extrovert and having excellent people skills are often traits that are described as ‘very hard to teach’. Why not develop these skills by putting yourself in a situation where you are constantly meeting new people, hearing new stories, and telling your own story? Not only does travel experience have a great reputation for pulling people out of their shells (and comfort zones), it helps you empathize with and advise others who are in similar situations. The added bonus to all of this is that during your travels, you will meet people from all over the world – other backpackers in your hostel, local business owners and tour guides who have seen it all. What better way to experience people from diverse cultural backgrounds – and to see how they interact and conduct business – than to see it firsthand. Not only is it a real eye opener, but in today’s globalized world, this far-reaching experience and multi-national networking will very likely come in handy in your business life one day as well.
Apply these skills to your career & blow your employer away
Travelling the world will teach you new skills (and polish old ones!) that will come in handy in your professional life. You will learn things about yourself, and become more confident and experienced in the process. If you can properly articulate, apply and present these skills and experiences to your potential employers, chances are they will be blown away.

All in all, taking some time to travel (whether it is a month or a year) is expensive, bold, and sometimes scary and nerve-wracking.

What is it about Tinder? I’ve asked myself that while watching friends swipe through dozens of people, almost as if on auto-pilot. Everyone is auditioning with their best photo in hopes of being right-swiped—the ultimate approval of one’s physical attractiveness. You can’t seriously believe that your 100-word profile highlighting your hobbies and favorite foods is what made your pursuer hit the checkmark button, no; it was most likely the cleavage pic that peaked their interest most. How do I know this? Because I’ve had the honor of listening to the comments of those who have graciously selected you as a potential person who they would like to stick their…you get the picture.

Naturally I needed to try it out for myself, just not in Winnipeg. So, this past summer, while sitting at a bar in Kelowna with my friend, an experienced Tinder and Grinder user, I got the app I said I’d never get. I sipped my double gin and tonic as I carefully selected a few photos that didn’t send across the “Netflix and chill” message, and we aggressively swiped through dozens of dudes and bickered over what way we were swiping them. While browsing through the library of Kelowna-faced-boys, I realized how popular shirtless photos were—these are the ones we bickered about. Though I can appreciate the hard work you put into that broccoli eating, caramel tanned, chiselled-ab body of yours, my guess is that if you’re leading with your looks, it’s probably because your personality sucks. Left swipe.

I woke up to messages from a few guys, and I spent a lot of my day responding to them, which was annoying yet addicting. I came to see why people like Tinder so much: the attention is overwhelming. It was weird to have so many strangers interested in me, and yet I knew why most of them were. I had plastered my face on an app responsible for many of the one-night stands that have occurred, and yet I wondered if there was a chance I could simply just get to know someone, who had a genuine interest in getting to know me. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who has asked you what you do for a living more than twice, and you start to wonder if they’re listening to you at all? The upside of Tinder is that if you’ve asked someone something, and forget the answer, you can just scroll up in the conversation and find the information you’re looking for. The bad part, it’s twice as insulting when someone has that information at their finger tips yet continue to re-ask the same questions. I had one guy ask me three times what I was studying in school, which is when I realized I was probably one of five girls he was messaging at that moment. Un-match.

I really had no business being on Tinder with such high expectations; however I continued my efforts because as shallow as it was, it was really entertaining. When I arrived at the airport for my return flight to Winnipeg, I deleted my profile, with a hint of sadness, but with much relief that my face couldn’t be judged anymore. I can’t bash the app, for some couples have formed from it, and others have experienced great nights of mutual, emotionless fun. I applaud those who are brave enough to endure the scrutiny of people’s visual standards, I think though, for me, I’ll rely on meeting people the old fashioned way: off the internet.